


Not the Fun Kind of Menage a Trois - Asmo/Grace - Sequel to Unworthy of Love

by EP1



Series: Grace and the Seven Deadly Sins [4]
Category: Shall We Date?: Obey Me!
Genre: Angst and Feels, Anxiety, Bathing/Washing, Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, Depression, Explicit Language, F/M, Kissing, M/M, Masturbation in Shower, Mind Control, Mind Games, Mind Manipulation, Multi, Not Beta Read, Not Canon Compliant, Nudity, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sleepy Cuddles, Spoilers, Tags May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-04-10
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:35:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 13,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23473339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EP1/pseuds/EP1
Summary: Asmodeus has successfully convinced Grace to make a pact with him. However, he also has one with Solomon, whose motives are always unclear. How will Asmo serve two masters?Continuation of Unworthy of Love and follows the Narcissistic Fifth-Born EndingChapters 1-9 is one complete arc of the story.Tags will be updated as I go and rating may change as story progresses.Writing is a form of stress relief and self care. I will bounce between the different character timelines writing what I can and am able to at the time. No set update schedule.
Series: Grace and the Seven Deadly Sins [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1683712
Comments: 45
Kudos: 76





	1. Red is a Commanding Colour

Grace woke up and thought the day before was just a really bad dream. Then she took a deep breath and winced. Nope, the bruises were real so the rest must be real too. The locker room fight. Oh god, Asmo helping her out of her clothing. Grace buried her head under her pillow. How did she let that get so out of hand? Dammit, she knew better. Speaking of knowing better, did she really just make a pact with him last night?

  
She peeked her head out from under the pillow. Wait, where was he? He wasn’t in bed. Grace blinked repeatedly at the empty space in her bed. She looked around the room, and he was nowhere to be seen. He was the one that had wanted to stay so damn badly and he left without a goodbye.

  
Grace was now too agitated to go back to sleep. She carefully got out of bed and went into her bathroom. It now looked really tiny next to the size of Asmo’s. She idly wondered what kind of negotiations had gone on to make that happen. Did they give up a guest room or something? Maybe Asmo just lets all the guests sleep with him?

  
With a grumble, she started the shower. While she waited for it to get to the right temperature, Grace admired her new temporary tattoos in the mirror. She had to admit they were super cute though a little too goth for her preference. She ran a fingertip along the spider web and barely felt any pain at all. How rare, something that was both pretty and useful.

  
Grace stepped into the shower and carefully washed up, then just stood there and tried to let the water wash away all the stress. It didn’t work. She quickly washed her hair, then rinsed it and got out.

  
That was when she noticed an outfit hanging on the back of the door. Perfectly coordinated, with matching stockings, shoes and of course lingerie. No. Just no. Grace wasn’t about to take outfit suggestions from him, not when he didn’t even take the time to say good morning.

  
Which was when Grace noticed that the steamed mirror had good morning written on it. Nope, still not wearing the outfit, but she did give him credit for creativity.

  
Grace towelled off and slipped on her bathrobe. Upon opening her bedroom door, she could smell warm syrup. Asmo was back, and a tray of food was sitting on her desk chair, pulled conveniently along her bed. Asmo was sitting on her desk, his legs not quite reaching the floor so swaying back and forth. He was dressed, but not in his uniform, which only confused Grace because she thought it was a school day.

  
“I’d been hoping to feed you breakfast in bed,” he said in greeting. His smile was warm, and his eyes seemed calm.

  
“If you’d expected that you wouldn’t have left a message on the mirror.” Grace snagged a strawberry from the bowl on the tray and popped it into her mouth on her way to the bed.

  
“In all things important it is necessary to have a backup plan. I’m sorry to have left but I wanted to run a little damage control this morning. I bribed Beel to guard your door so you could sleep as long as possible. Until he went to class that is.”

  
“What did you bribe him with?”

  
“Human world hamburgers and I hired Mammon to go up and get them. Two birds one stone. Though no bottle service at the club for me for a few weeks.” Asmo pouted.

  
“Please. I doubt you’ve ever had to pay for bottle service.”

  
Instead of confirming or denying the statement, he changed the topic. “Once I ensured you didn’t get a wake-up call from the moron. I cooked breakfast. Oh, and I talked to Lucifer. Obviously, no classes for you today but you do have an appointment with Lord Diavolo in the afternoon.”

  
Suddenly no matter how tasty breakfast looked or smelled, Grace had no appetite for it. “Got any outfit recommendations on what I should wear to my execution?”

  
“What are you talking about? Didn’t you see the fantastic ensemble I’ve already pulled together for you?” Then he paused. “No, you are right. You definitely need to wear something much more commanding. Red. It really must be red.” Asmo left his perch on her desk and opened her closet. He started digging through its contents, making discontented sounds.

  
Despite herself, it made Grace smile. Wasn’t there some sort of saying that ended with ‘leave a beautiful corpse’?” With his help, Grace was sure she could at least manage that.

  
Asmo glanced over his shoulder at her. “Eat.”

  
“I’m not feeling very hungry,” Grace answered. She did reach over and take another berry, setting it to her lips.

  
“Don’t make me feed you. If you do that, we will never make it to that meeting on time.”

  
“Now who is being bossy?” Grace bit into the berry and felt a little frustrated. All of these gestures were very sweet, but they were also very controlling and it was rubbing Grace the wrong way. This morning might look like something out of a romantic comedy but there was no way she was going to Asmo steamroll into her life and make her decisions for her. Before he got too used to this, it was time to figure out how this pact worked.

  
Grace finished the strawberry and closed her eyes. In the background, she could hear him critiquing her wardrobe, but she let the sound fade away as she focussed inside and tried to feel what was different inside her. Once she figured out what he felt like, she reopened her eyes.

  
She proceeded to quietly eat a little bit of the waffle and finished off all the strawberries. “What time is my appointment with Lord Diavolo?”

  
“Three,” he answered, as he fished through her underwear drawer.

  
“In his office?” Grace asked before finishing her glass of juice.

  
“Yes,” he replied. He held up two setups of undergarments. “Which do you like better, the red or the black?”

  
Grace rose to her feet and snagged the red ones from his hands. “Asmodeus, be a darling and stay right here. Don’t move.” Grace put the force of command into her voice.

  
“Grace?” he asked. “What are you doing?”

  
“Getting ready for class. I mean I missed the first period, but if I hurry I should still be on time for the second.” She took her uniform from her closet.

  
“But I worked it out so you could stay home.”

  
Grace could feel a little push back against her control. “It was a kind gesture, but it wasn’t your decision to make. It's mine. The rumour mill has got to be buzzing this morning and Xantara wasn’t the only one who had a hand in what happened to me. Ari was the one that glamoured the homunculi. I have to show to them that they can’t get away with this. I’m hurt Asmo, but I’m not beat. I wasn’t hiding behind any of you before, and I won’t now.” Grace was proud of her brave words but opened the bathroom door so that Asmo couldn’t see the tears that were starting to run down her cheeks.

  
It took a lot of effort to put on the uniform. Looking at it in the mirror, made her shudder, but Grace pushed through. “Those bandages are pretty awesome. I can even do up my own bra this morning.” She said conversationally through the door.

  
“I don’t think this is a good idea.” Asmo counselled. He was pushing more, and Grace could feel how frustrated he was getting. It was starting to give her a headache. She had been pretty sure this whole commanding a demon thing wasn’t going to be as easy as he made it sound. Unfortunately, she’d been right. It felt like she was trying to get her two-year-old nephew to sit still so she could put on his shoes.

  
“Your objection in on the record.” She came out of the bathroom. Her uniform was immaculate, her hair in a simple ponytail and her make-up spotless. She’d chosen a deeper, richer shade of red for lipstick. “But, its overruled.”

  
Grace sat down on the bed to put on her stockings and shoes. She couldn’t help but make a tiny bit of a show with the stockings. Slowly gliding them up her leg, all the while keeping eye contact with the demon. When she was done, she gave him a wink and slipped on the shoes.

  
“Grace,” the tone of his voice was no longer playful. It was full of warning, and it sent shivers up her spine in a good way. “Don’t do this.”

  
Feeling more than a little powerful, she leaned up on her toes and gave him him a kiss on the cheek. She admired the almost perfect lip print she left behind. “You know what, Asmo? You are right. Red really is a more commanding colour.”

  
“I can’t stop you from following me, at least not without more practice but I think I can slow you down.” Grace smiled. “Asmodeus, before you can go to the academy, you need to clean up the mess you’ve made of my room. You cannot start until I shut the door. Put my clothes back where you found them, neatly. No cheating and hiding shit under the bed.” She opened her bedroom door. “Oh, and despite the fact, you look devastatingly handsome in this ensemble. You need to be wearing your uniform before you set foot on school grounds. You are on the council and need to set a good example for the rest of the student body.”

  
Oh, did he ever fight that one. Grace could feel that Asmo had long since passed amused, drove right past frustration and now was firmly in the territory of anger. There was a tug of war that lasted at least a minute before she felt the command settle into place. Not that he wouldn’t keep straining to find a loophole, Grace knew that. She also knew that he was likely going to make her pay for this later, but Grace needed this act of defiance. She needed a win, even if it was a little one because she had no idea what three in the afternoon would bring.

  
Grace blew him a kiss and shut the door behind her. As she walked down the hall, she could already hear him scrambling.


	2. World's Fastest Costume Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poor Asmo . . .

As Asmo frantically cleaned the room, he texted a 911 to his siblings. How had things go so wrong, so quickly this morning? She had had such a horrible night and had been feeling so poorly about herself that all he had wanted to do this morning was treat her like a princess. Grace had been so very exhausted he had wanted her to get a good rest. What was wrong with that? He had wanted her to feel special and brought her breakfast. What girl doesn’t like that? He picked out clothes so she would shine today for everyone, not just him. What the hell had happened?

 **ASMO:** Grace is headed to the campus. Alone. Keep eyes peeled.  
 **MAMMON:** How the fuck did that happen?

Asmo ignored that and continue with the pertinent information.

 **ASMO:** She’s wounded, smells like prey and Levi still has her DDD.  
 **LEVI:** Fuck. I gave it to Lucifer. He wanted it as evidence.  
 **LUCIFER:** As I am not currently in class, I will handle this situation. I assume there is a good reason you are not accompanying her?  
 **ASMO:** No, not a good one no. She compelled me to stay.

Asmo winced. The only one who he had told about the pact was Lucifer, but now was not to time to worry about his pride. He could see that everyone was typing something.

 **ASMO:** Can you all wait to mock me until later? Just make sure she’s safe.

There was pause, then all the replies just came back as an affirmative. His siblings could be assholes most of the time, but when it counted they got shit done.

 **ASMO:** One more thing. Someone track down Ari. She helped Xantara.

Asmo put his phone away. The room was done, now it was time to change his clothes. Fortunately, he was adept at getting both in and out of clothing quickly.


	3. Hard Truths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asmo and Grace need to have a talk about the morning.

Grace was about halfway to the campus when she stopped dead in her tracks. Lucifer walking her way and he did not look pleased. Shit. This was not good.

  
“Exactly what to do you think you are doing?” he asked, stopping a couple of feet away from her, towering over her.

  
“Going to class,” she answered, lowering her eyes.

  
“Alone? Smelling like fresh meat?” Lucifer asked. “Without even your DDD to call for aid?”

  
Fuck. Yeah, those were all very valid points.

  
“If only there had been someone available to walk with you. Someone who actually cared enough for you to offer you something precious.”

  
Grace winced. So Lucifer knew about the pact and what she had done with it. She started to feel shame. She was in the wrong and she knew it. To take away Asmo’s choice what not the right response to being hurt that he’d done the same to her.

  
“I had thought you were smarter than this, but I was wrong,” Lucifer stated. “You are a. Scared. Stupid. Child.” The last three words grew in volume. “No. You are worse than a child. You are like a stray dog and you bite the hand that tries to help you.”

  
“That’s enough, Lucifer.” Grace heard Asmodeus’ voice behind her. She had not heard his approach. Though given how her attention had been focussed on Lucifer, she could have missed an entire parade with a marching band, elephants and fire trucks. She couldn’t turn to look at him.

  
“It really isn’t.” Lucifer shook his head. “If you survive whatever Diavolo has in store for you Grace, then I’m going to press for my original intention to have you sent home. There has to be a better-suited candidate than this.”

  
“Lucifer,” Asmo said again. “Enough.” There was an edge to his voice.

  
“You offered her protection and she was stupid enough to leave you bound at home,” Lucifer said, looking at his sibling, then he turned his eyes back on her. He lifted her chin and forced her to look in his eyes. “If I were not Lord Diavolo’s man, I could have gobbled you up. Do you think you could have unbound him in time to have him save you? To summon him to your side? I don’t.”

  
Grace’s heart was pounding. She wanted to step away from him, but his grip was firm on her chin. Grace knew that she was nothing but a rabbit and he was the wolf. It only validated her instinct to fear him.

  
“I said enough!” Asmo took a step forward, putting himself at her side. Grace could see him out of the corner of her eye. His face was as serious as she had ever seen in. “Let me handle this.”

  
“You’ve done a wonderful job so far,” Lucifer said dryly, letting go of Grace’s chin. “Fine, I’ll leave her to you. My advice, Asmo, invest in some duct tape.” He turned and started walking to school.

  
“So Grace, your call. Back to school or home? Either way, we have to talk.” Asmo’s voice sounded tired.

  
“I guess home since I don’t think that it is the kind of talk we can wrap up before lunch,” Grace said quietly. 

  
They walked in silence back toward the House of Lamentation. It grew more and more awkward the longer it dragged on, but Grace knew that what they needed to talk about required more privacy than the nearly empty street. Normally he would have reached out for some kind of contact by now. A light touch on her shoulder or a brush of his hand against hers, but Asmo maintained the distance between them.

  
Finally, they made it back to the House of Lamentation. She walked each step slowly, already tasting the crow she was going to have to eat. He graciously opened the door for her, and she stepped inside. The heavy wooden door closed with an ominous thunk. 

  
Grace turned to look at him, and Asmo surprised her by grabbing her by the waist and pushing her against the closed door. When she opened her mouth to grunt in pain, he kissed her. Grace had thought that kisses leaving you breathless was a figure of speech. She was proved wrong. Asmo literally stole her breath away. When his lips left hers, she was panting for breath.

  
“I prefer that over duct tape. Now keep quiet and listen. You will hear me out.” He had a smile, but it was almost sad. His eyes were serious when he looked down into hers. He leaned down and laid her forehead against hers.“Do you have any clue how damn scared I was? How I would have felt if something had happened to you? How I would have felt if you had died?” His voice had a catch in it when he said the last word. He kissed her forehead gently and then stepped away. He started to pace a little. “I made a pact with you for two reasons Grace. Two! I wanted to keep you safe and I wanted you to trust me. You tied my hands stopping me from doing the first, and I don’t even understand why! If you had wanted to go so badly I would have taken you. If you needed to prove the point that you are a fierce creature not to be fucked with I would have made sure you walked out of here looking like a goddess. Grace, why didn’t you even give me that chance? What happened this morning? Cause I really don’t know.”

  
Grace waited for a second, not sure if he was actually waiting for an answer or if trying to talk would just result in being silenced once more. Since he was looking at her expectantly, Grace decided that Asmo wanted an answer. “I was feeling hurt.”  
“Okay, that is a start.” Asmo sat down on a stair and ran his hand through his hair. “Why were you feeling hurt?” It sounded like it was taking all of his patience to ask.

  
Grace sighed. He had a right to the answer, but she didn’t want to say it. She blinked her eyes and tried not to cry. She didn’t want him to think that she was trying to manipulate him with tears. “Because you weren’t there when I woke up.” Asmo looked confused, so she took a deep breath and elaborated. “Last night, you said that making a pact was more intimate than sex. Last night, you were the one that wanted to stay.” Grace paused. Fuck, this was even worse than him seeing her naked and she hadn’t thought anything could be worse than that. “It's not the first time I’ve woken up in an empty bed after an intimate encounter.” Asmo looked like he was going to say something, but Grace held up her hand. “My turn, kay? I should have known that you didn’t mean it that way, but it still hurt.”

  
Asmo looked like he wanted to say something, but didn’t know what to say. Grace didn’t know what to say either. She almost sat down with her back against the door but thought otherwise at the last minute. The way the day was going someone would come home for lunch and she would get trampled. Actually, that might be the most merciful end to the day. Instead of joining Asmo on the stairs, Grace just started to pace.

  
“I’m sorry,” he finally said.

  
“It’s not your fault-“

  
Asmo interrupted her. “My turn now. This morning, this morning I was feeling very happy.” He smiled, it was a beautiful, breathtaking smile. “I only left your side because I wanted to show you how much it meant to me. I wanted to pamper you. After everything that you went through yesterday, you deserved it.” His smile grew pained. “I wasn’t lying when I said that what happened was intimate. It felt very different from when I made my pact with Solomon.” Grace was surprised to see that it looked like he was trying to hold back tears too. “I can’t put that feeling into words. I’d offer to try to show you, I mean that is my strong suit, right?” He gave a little bitter laugh. “But, I’m starting to see why that doesn’t work with you. I won’t say I understand, because I can’t, but I can feel that how I express affection.” He paused again. “It’s been used to hurt you, hasn’t it? You can’t accept it without skepticism and fear, can you?”

  
Grace turned away from him. There was open pain on his face and knowing she caused it made her feel even worse.

  
“Come on, princess, don’t turn away from me,” he said.

  
“Do you know that on the mortal plane a lot of men use pet names so they don’t have to remember the name of the girl that they are with?” Grace said quietly, not turning back. She was glad she couldn’t see the look on his face.

  
“Grace,” Asmo said with care, “Please look at me.”

  
“I really can’t.” Grace was crying and she knew if she turned around it would no longer just be the tears running down her face. This would be full-on ugly crying, filled with snot and hyperventilating. Knowing him, Asmo would try to comfort her and she didn’t feel like she deserved it. She knew she had treated him like crap and Lucifer was right, she’d abused the gift he’d given her. No, he was the last person she wanted to comfort her right now. “I’m sorry. What I did this morning was horrible and cruel. I can’t make it better. I’m not even sure if I can promise I won’t do it again because I-“ Another deep breath before she told him truths she didn’t want to say. “I liked it. It made me feel strong and powerful. Maybe Lucifer is right. Maybe I should be sent very far away from here. The only thing Diavolo is going to learn from me is how quickly humans fall to temptation.”

  
She started to walk away toward the dining room, not because it would take her anywhere she wanted to go, but it was the only option. Either set of stairs would make her have to look Asmo in the eye and she couldn’t do that right now. “I’m going to ask you not to follow me. I won’t command it. I don’t feel like I should have that right. But I can’t talk about this anymore, not, not right now. One wrong word either kind or harsh might break me and I don’t have the luxury of time for that. Got a meeting with the king of hell in a couple of hours, right?” Grace gave a manic little laugh. “I’m going to go try to pull myself together, and I know that is selfish. I’m sorry.”

  
With that, she opened the door and left the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well . . . that happened.


	4. Numb

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is a couple unexpected delays to Grace's meeting with Diavolo

Grace sat in the dining room and held her breath, both wanting him to follow and praying that he didn’t. When she heard the mansion door close, and her heart broke a little. She stayed there crying until no more tears would come and she felt numb. She got to her feet and dragged herself upstairs to her room.

  
She looked in the mirror and saw a pathetic mess reflected back at her. Her eyes were swollen and puffy from the crying and her makeup in ruined streaks. Her bottom lip was red from where she kept biting it. She stared at her reflection for a long time before she could summon the energy to try to make it better. With a long sigh, she removed her uniform and stepped into the shower again.

  
Grace stayed in there until the water ran cold and while she felt no better, at least she didn’t look like she’d had a meltdown. As she ran a comb through her hair, she saw the original outfit Asmo had picked for her. It was still hanging on the back of the door. She had only said to clean the room, her order had said nothing about the bathroom.

  
While looking at it made her want to cry again, Grace decided that she would wear it. Maybe he would consider it a peace offering. She was sure he would be back in time to walk her to the academy for her meeting. Grace hoped it would make him smile.

  
As she dressed, Grace was aware that all she was managing was presentable. She didn’t have the energy to go that extra mile. She knew he’d be disappointed in her, but he was already upset anyway, right?

  
When the hall clock chimed two-thirty, Grace was sitting on the stairs waiting. She drummed her fingers nervously on the steps. The uncertainty of the upcoming meeting was pressing heavier and heavier. Grace wished she had some clue what was going to happen. She started to envision all those dark scenarios again. It was only the clock chiming three that interrupted the cycle.

  
Three. Grace acknowledged the time numbly. She was supposed to be there at three. Grace looked at the door and blinked with confusion. If Asmo wasn’t here, shouldn’t someone be here to pick her up? After her dressing down by Lucifer this morning, there was no way she was venturing out there without an escort and she still had no DDD to contact anyone.

  
For one half-second, she considered summoning Asmo, but the thought immediately made her feel guilty. No. She wouldn’t do that. She wasn’t in danger, well probably not in any immediate danger, unless being late to meet Diavolo was a capital offence. So, Grace waited, her eyes watching the second had every time it ticked.

  
When the door finally opened, Grace looked at it hopefully. Unfortunately, it wasn’t Asmo, it was Levi. Luckily Grace had practiced her poker face in the mirror or he might have been hurt. She knew that she had wounded Asmo deeply, but he still thought that he would have come with her for the meeting.

  
“Where Asmo?” Levi asked. “You know you’re late, right?”

  
“I don’t know,” Grace answered. “Yes, I know I’m late. Thank you for coming to get me. How mad is Lucifer?”

  
“On a scale of one to ten? About one hundred.” Levi said honestly. “He hates to be embarrassed in front of Diavolo. Come on.”

  
While she quietly followed Levi, Grace just started quietly retreating further into herself. She was totally unaware of the concerned sidelong glances he was giving her. She walked through the academy in a fog, which only lifted when she heard Lucifer scolding her.

  
“You are late,” Lucifer stated.

  
She blinked, relaxing they were in the anteroom of Lord Diavolo’s office. “I’m sorry,” Grace apologized meekly. “I’m not sure where Asmo went and I didn’t have a way to get in touch with you.”

  
“Sit over there.” Lucifer indicated a couch. “He started with interviewing Xantara first since you were not on time.”

  
“Lucifer, can I talk to you for a sec?” Levi asked and when he saw the annoyed look this elder gave him, he added. “It’s important.” He glanced toward Grace.

  
She, however, was oblivious to the exchange, as well as the fact that they left the room to have their discussion. Grace went and sat on the couch as she was directed. She closed her eyes and tried to take a few calming breaths. She was late and had started this by pissing off Lucifer. Pretty much the definition of starting off on the wrong foot.

  
“Bad day?” 

  
Grace knew the voice and opened her eyes to greet Solomon. She wondered what he was doing here but it probably had to do with the incident in potions class that started this mess. The couch sank a bit as he sat down next to her. “I guess you could say I got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.” 

  
“I had been coming over to welcome you to the family, so to speak, but I’m guessing that is part of the problem?” his voice was gentle. “I don’t see Asmodeus anywhere.”

  
“Is the fact that I made a pact with him written on my face? Published in the school paper?” Grace said with a sigh. Deep breath. No tears. She reminded herself that she could be called into that office at any moment.

  
“No, my dear Grace, but I did feel a subtle shift in my connection with him last night and it tasted of you.”

  
“And how would you know what I taste like?” she asked. The words themselves were spirited but there was no fire behind them. She was just too emotionally overwhelmed to put forth the effort.

  
“There is no bite in your bark today. This troubles me. How can I help?” he asked, reaching out a had and laying on top of hers.

  
“I don’t think there is anything you can do for me. I think it's all in their hands.” Grace said. Normally she would have pulled away, but she let his hand rest there.

  
“Don’t be so sure. There are no limits to what a pair of humans can accomplish when they work together.” He said with a smile and a little wink.

  
The door to the office opened and out walked Xantara. She looked well, shocking well, considering that the last time Grace had laid eyes on her was when she was lying on the floor convulsing. Grace didn’t even realize she was balling her fist until Solomon gently squeezed it.

  
“Look,” he said, inclining his head toward the demoness. “She did not get out unscathed, You’ve left your mark on her. Look at her scales.”

  
Once Solomon pointed it out, there was a dark red tone that hadn’t been there before in all the recessed sections of her scale pattern. It gave Grace the closest thing to a real smile since she had spoken to Asmo. “I guess even if they send me away, I’ll have left my mark on Devildom.”

  
Solomon looked concerned at her words. “Do you think that is something Diavolo is considering?”

  
“He will be once Lucifer suggests it. I have disappointed him and he feels that I’m unfit for the program.” Grace gave a little shrug.“It’s probably for the best anyway.”

  
“No, do not doubt Grace that you are exactly where you need to be. Have faith.” Solomon counselled.

  
“And what shall I have faith in? Gods? Angels? Demons?” Grace asked.

  
“Whichever you choose, but above all else, yourself. Have faith in yourself.”

  
The door to the hallway slammed shut behind Lucifer as he re-entered the room. He did not look pleased. Lucifer glared in her direction. “Do you plan on making Diavolo wait even longer for you?” he snapped. 

  
Solomon gave her hand one more squeeze before releasing it so she could rise to her feet. “No, Lucifer, I’m as ready as I’m going to be.” 

  
Grace followed him into the office.


	5. Alarm Bells

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Satan tracks Asmo down for a brotherly chat.

Satan entered the Fall, looking for Asmo. He had gone silent and was not answering any messages. Luckily he did not have to venture too far, as he found his brother in the main level bar. Not that it would have bothered him to haul Asmo out from the strip club in the basement or off the dance floor in the club up the stairs. It was just much more convenient this way.

Satan slid onto a stool next to Asmo. His usually immaculate brother looked like shit, to put it mildly. It was a very rare occurrence for someone with his narcissistic tendencies. Usually, Asmo could be counted on to look perfectly groomed at anytime day or night.

“Day drinking? Stealing a play from Mammon’s playbook?” Satan asked.

Asmo glared at him but didn’t rise to the bait.

“Never thought I’d see the day the great Asmodeus had a problem dealing with a woman,” Satan commented. “How does it feel?”

“I’m not sure she’s a woman,” Asmo grumbled.

“That’s it! I’m cutting you off,” Satan teased, taking the drink from his hands. “You’ve obviously had far too much.”

“That’s not what I meant. I mean I know she’s a woman. I’ve seen the proof. Did you know she is hiding a fantastic rack under that uniform?”

Satan arched an eyebrow. “Feel free to continue.”

Asmo shook his head and tried to get back to his point. “But, I know women. I mean, women love me, well at least women want me. When I’m done with a woman, she’s happy. She satisfied.”

“And Grace is not happy?” Satan asked. Sliding Asmo’s drink further away down the counter. He could tell Asmo wasn’t anywhere near drunk, but it would still probably be a good idea to discourage him from having any more.

“That’s an understatement.” Asmo held his head in his hands. “How did I end up in a pact with the one woman that I can’t make happy?”

Satan reached over and patted his sibling on the shoulder. “Asmo, don’t take it so hard. I’m sure if we look hard enough we can find a few more. Shall I start polling your ex's?”

“Fuck off, Satan. It’s not funny.” He gave his brother a pained look. There was a long pause before he spoke again. “I really tried. I tried to take care of her. I tried to make her feel special, but everything I tried just made things worse.”

Satan folded his hands and looked thoughtful. “Asmo, what do you want?”

“I don’t know,” he said with a defeated sigh.

“That’s not really helpful.” Satan thought about it for a moment. “Then let's eliminate what you don’t want. Do you want her dead?”

“NO!” Asmo exclaimed. “Why would you even suggest that?”

“Maimed?” Since it looked like Asmodeus was going to hit him, Satan leaned back. “So, it is safe to say that despite the fact that both of you are unhappy, you want her alive and healthy.”

“Yes!”

“See, we are making progress. That eliminates a lot of options.” Satan said with a smile. “Do you want to be free of the pact?”

“She used it to make me sit and stay,” Asmo complained.

“I was under the impression that sometimes you were into that.”

“Yes, in the bedroom. For fun and pleasure, that’s one thing. But, she made me stand idly by while she put herself in danger.” Asmo clarified. “I wanted to make a pact with her to help keep her safe and she stopped me from doing it.”

“So, what’s stopping you right now?” Satan questioned.

Asmo looked at him confused. “What do you mean? Is she in danger?” His eyes suddenly grew wide and clear.

“Asmo, what time do you think it is?” Satan looked at his sibling with concern.

“I don’t know. Around two?”

“It’s well after four,” Satan stated.

“No. It can’t be! I remember setting an alarm on my DDD. I just needed some space. She needed some space.” Asmo frantically looked for the device and swore when he looked at the time. “Tell me she didn’t walk there alone!”

Satan was suddenly concerned. Something in this picture wasn’t adding up. “Calm down. No, she didn’t walk alone. Levi went with her. I thought you didn’t go because maybe you wanted Lucifer to have her sent away.”

“No. I clearly remember setting an alarm. I was going to go with her. Dammit, she was fucking terrified of this stupid meeting and Lucifer didn’t make it any better with threatening her this morning.” He reached in his jacket and threw a few crumpled bills on the bar. “Fuck, I hope I’m not too late. Do you think they’d still be at Diavolo’s office?”

“Well, there is only one way to find out. Let’s go.”

Together they hurried out of the bar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I know, I know poor Mammon is waiting for his turn, but unfortunately I need to get past a certain place in this story before I can let it rest for a bit. Just be reassured that I have not abandoned Lucifer or Mammon. They will get their day.


	6. Meeting with the Demon Prince

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The long dreaded meeting begins

Grace followed Lucifer into the room and kept her eyes lowered. The door shut behind her, and she did her best to keep the panicked feeling at bay.

  
“Have a seat, Grace.” She heard Lord Diavolo say and she obeyed instantly. It was then she looked up at the next king of Devildom. Diavolo was taller than both Beel and Lucifer, more muscled than the former and yet somehow less intimidating than the later. His eyes had always been friendly when they spoke, but that didn’t make Grace any less aware of the power he wielded. Lucifer, the most terrifying demon she knew obeyed him without question, that meant despite that friendly exterior he was to be feared. “You look tired, did you not sleep well?”

  
“No, sir.” She answered honestly. “Yesterday-“ She paused as the thought about the day before and what she should say. I almost died. I almost killed someone. I turned myself invisible. I got naked with Asmodeus. I made a pact with Asmodeus. “Yesterday, was eventful and tiring.”

  
“Well, let’s try to make this as quick and painless as possible, shall we?” He favoured her with a smile.

  
What followed what a gentle interrogation, but an interrogation none the less. It covered far more than just yesterdays’ incident. Diavolo wanted to know everything. There were questions related to all the things she had done her best to hide. Grace allowed herself to drift back into that numb place and answered his questions briefly and honestly.

  
Some were definitely easier to answer than others. Some things were almost common knowledge at that point. Other questions, made her express things aloud that she would have much rather kept hidden. Grace was very glad that Lucifer was standing behind her, and that she couldn’t see his face. Especially when Lord Diavolo asked, “Why did hide all these things from the avatars? Who I specifically assigned to take care of you?”

  
“It is no fault of theirs, my lord.” Grace began. “Life has taught me to trust no one, especially the ones with sweet words that come in pretty packaging. Everyone will hurt you. They may not always want to, but they will.”

  
Diavolo was silent for a few moments and then he smiled gently once more.”Grace, thank you for your honesty today. By being so honest, I can work to improve the program and the experience of next year's students. Now, on to the matter at hand. You are guilty of almost killing a classmate, and there will be consequences for that though it is clear by all testimony and evidence that it was self-defence.”

  
Grace held her breath and nodded. 

  
Lucifer spoke up from behind her. “My lord, may I make a suggestion?”

  
“What is it Lucifer?” Diavolo moved his eyes to look over Grace’s shoulder.

  
“Unless you have something more severe in mind, I suggest we remove all memory of her time her and return her to Earth. I think these events have made it quite clear that she is not suited to life here in Devildom. The only meaningful connection she has made with her classmates was to be nearly murdered by them, and that sole attempt has destabilized her mental state. For her own good, I suggest Grace that be returned to Earth.”

  
Even though she knew it was coming, it still stung. He did have a point. Several points, what had she really contributed in the time she was here? Even the demon she had made a pact with had chosen not to come to this meeting with her. It wasn’t like she’s asked to be dragged here.

  
The only thing that she really hated about Lucifer’s suggestion was that the memories would be taken. Sure there were things she would like to forget, but there were things that she would like to remember. She small kindnesses, even if they might not have been real. The quiet way Satan smiled when he was reading a book he enjoys. Smacking Beel’s hand automatically with a wooden spoon when he tried to eat her ingredients. The anguished tone in Levi’s voice when she bested him online. Mammon and his ever-present gruff kindness. And Asmo- she cut the thought off before it could begin.

  
Diavolo looked at Lucifer. “And you stand by that opinion?”

  
Before Lucifer could answer, there was a polite knock on the door.

  
“I believe that I had ordered that we were not to be disturbed,” Diavolo said.

  
Barbatos opened the door. “I am aware, my lord but I’m afraid the gentleman is quite insistent that he has something to add to these proceedings and will not go away. Shall I smite him for you?”

  
“No, let him in.”

  
For the second time that day, Grace looked at a door and hoped that Asmodeus would walk through it. For the second time, she was disappointed. It was Solomon that stepped into the room.

  
“Apologies, Lord Diavolo,” he said smoothly with a small bow. “I have heard you may be considering returning Grace to the Earthly realm.”

  
“What remarkably sharp ears you have,” Lucifer said in a cold polite tone. “Considering I only just made the suggestion.”

  
Solomon seemed unbothered by Lucifer’s attitude. “Oh, am I mistaken that you told Grace that you were going to make that suggestion regardless of the outcome of this meeting?”

  
“Earlier today I did make it quite clear that I feel that she is not fit to be part of this program, but the decision is always Lord Diavolo’s. However, I do not see how it is any concern of yours, sorcerer.”

  
Grace glanced toward the demon lord. He was leaning on his desk with his fingers laced together with an unreadable glint in his eyes. 

  
“My Lord,” Solomon addressed Diavolo. “I feel it is my business. If there are criteria that need be met in order to stay, as I am the only other human student, I have a right to know what it is. To ensure that I too am not found lacking.”

  
Diavlo chuckled. “I cannot fault that logic. He does have a stake in the conversation. Please repeat your argument for Solomon.”  
The air in the room grew remarkably chilly. Grace knew it was all in her mind but she shivered. Lucifer smiled, it was a predators smile. A smile that promised there would be a reckoning for it later. “Grace has spent most of her three months barely interacting with the other students at the academy. She has made no meaningful connections with her classmates and was almost murdered by one of them. As of result of that single attack, I have already witnessed damage to her mental state which I think will impede her from being a productive member of the program.”

  
“Practiced that in front of the mirror before you came?” Solomon teased. “There is a lot to unpack there. First, I would like to say that I feel her very presence has provided a very important lesson to her classmates. Never underestimate a human.” Solomon smiled a Grace. “Without a weapon, and with only the magical training she had gained over three months, she hospitalized her opponent. As to her mental state, I would argue that it is the result of not one assault, but many. Grace was the target of multiple emotional assaults, a continued barrage, and that would take the toll on even the strongest of minds. When you add to that the physical trauma of the vicious attack yesterday, it's no wonder she still displays signs of shock and there is still one factor you haven’t even mentioned.” Solomon turned back to Lucifer. His smile was also predatory. Though Grace felt Solomon's was more like the cat who had the mouse cornered. “How dare you try to claim that she has made no - how did you put it? Ah yes, meaningful connections with her classmates, when last night she formed a pact with Asmodeus?”

  
Lord Diavolo turned his eyes on her. Grace wished she could turn invisible rather than feel crushed under the weight of those eyes. “Is this true?”

  
For the first time since the interview had begun, Grace hesitated in answering. Solomon came to her side and put a hand on her shoulder. He leaned over and whispered in her ear, “It’s okay. Show Lord Diavolo. Summon Asmo. Trust me, he won’t be mad at you.”

  
Grace swallowed the lump in her throat and said one word quietly but firmly. “ **Asmodeus.** ”


	7. I Think She's a Keeper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asmo joins the party in Diavolo's office.

One minute Asmo was hurrying down the street with Satan and the next he heard Gracie and felt her summoning. Without a word to Satan, he disappeared and reappeared at her side. It took him a moment to sort out the situation. 

One, he was in Lord Diabolo’s office. Okay, great that was where he wanted to go anyway. Two, Grace was still here, she hadn’t been sent back to the human realm. That was a relief. He noticed that she was wearing the outfit he picked out and it made him smile, though that smile lasted so briefly as to almost not exist. It was replaced almost immediately with a frown as he noticed that Solomon had his hand on her shoulder and he was whispering in her ear. 

His eyes quickly scanned the room and make note of the other important demons present. Lord Diavolo, of course, it was his office, Lucifer and Barbatos.

Still not entirely sure what was going on, Asmo put on his most winning smile. He walked over to Grace and leaned down to kiss her cheek. “Hey-“ he had been about to call her sweetie but caught himself at the last moment, “Grace, sorry I’m late. What did I miss?”

“As she demonstrated, Grace has a pact with Asmo here.” Solomon squeezed Grace's shoulder, before letting go of it and standing straight. “Asmodeus, perhaps you can settle a matter of semantics for us? Would you consider your pact with Grace to be a meaningful connection?”

“Excuse me?” Asmo asked, indignant. How dare Solomon ask that? It was none of his fucking business, even if they did have a pact.“What kind of ridiculous question is that?”

“Lucifer claimed that Grace had made no meaningful connections in her time here as one of his arguments for her to be sent home,” Solomon explained. “In my opinion, a pact more than qualifies.”

Lucifer spoke next, Asmo could see he was trying to regain control of the situation. “They are almost strangers to each other. I don’t know why they did it, but she has mishandled it for the moment they made it, and it would be in best their interests if they were separated.”

“Excuse me?” Asmo asked, drawing himself to his full height and stepping toward his brother. “I don’t think that your decision to make. It’s mine and it's hers.”

“I think you made your decision when you chose not to attend this meeting,” Lucifer replied. “You were there when I told her that I was going to press to have her rejected from the program. If you had cared about the outcome of the meeting you would not have needed to be summoned here.”

Asmo really didn’t want to admit to a room full of higher demons that he had lost track of time at the bar and had somehow neglected to set an alarm. He scrambled to find something witty or clever to say. 

He glanced back at Grace. He could only imagine how much that would have hurt. Was there anything he could do that actually didn’t cause her pain?  
  
Grace rose slowly from her chair, touched his arm. When he looked at her, he did see a fire in her eyes, but it was sputtering, like a campfire left to die. She pushed up on her toes and kissed him on the cheek, in almost the exact same spot that she had kissed him in the morning while she had him bound by her will. “I’m sorry in advance,” she whispered. 

He watched her straighten herself and square her shoulders. All eyes were on her as though she was standing in the spotlight on the stage. “ **Asomdeus.** ” There was hardly any power behind the command. He could resist it if he chose. “Would you please slap Lucifer for me?”

Asmo chuckled and complied with her wishes. As often as he had wanted to smack his eldest sibling, now he had a valid excuse. The look of shock and anger on his brother’s features was impressive. When Asmo took a step back he made sure to position his body to give Grace cover should Lucifer retaliate.

“Lord Diavolo, my apologies,” she bowed her head respectfully, but the tone in her voice as she continued talking was full of challenge. “But I am fucking done. For the last few minutes, the people in this room have debated whether my pact with Asmodeus counts as meaningful. As though I was not present. Did you think to ask if it was meaningful to me? No. Not one of you asked me. Here’s the answer to the question you didn’t ask. I gave him part of my soul! Of course, that is meaningful! It is so insulting to think that anyone would question the worth of that! The only person who has a right to question the worth of my soul is Asmo. So, this whole debate? Yeah, it is over. Done.”

“How dare you speak to Diavolo in that manner?” Lucifer demanded, transforming into his demon form. Asmo automatically did the same, and out of the corner of his eye, he could see Solomon shift into a more aggressive stance.  
She then turned her eyes to Lucifer. Asmo could see no fear in her eyes, but he was pretty certain she no energy left for fear. What little she had she was devoting to anger.

“You!” She hissed, looking Lucifer in the eye. “You are upset at me for hurting Asmo. I fucking get it. I treated him like shit today. I can’t promise I won’t do it again. Welcome to Humans 101. You give us something we turn it into a weapon or break it. I get it. You want to send me back to Earth to get me out of his life.” She turned and looked at Asmo. “But that’s up to you Asmo, not him. You want out of this. If there is a way, I’ll do it. I don’t care what it costs. But don’t let him make that decision for you.”

Her eyes went once more to Diavolo. “As for the rest of it. Execute me, lock me up, brainwash me and send me back to earth . . . When you’ve made your fucking decision wake me up. Or don’t your call. I’m going to be sleeping on that couch out there. In the last twenty-four hours, I’ve narrowly avoided death, gave away a part of my damn soul and then had to relive three months of humiliation and pain. I’ve seriously got no more to give you and you really don’t give a fuck about my opinion anyway. I’m tired of you talking about me like I’m not in the room.” She nodded her head to Diavolo again. “Your highness.”

Grace slowly walked toward the door and everyone watched silently. Barbatos made a move to bar her path but Diavolo waved a hand indicating to let her pass. The sound of the door closing was surprisingly soft.

Solomon took a single step closer to Asmo and whispered. “Personally, I think she’s a keeper.”


	8. Midnight Snack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A very hungry Grace wakes up back at the House of Lammentation

Grace only woke up because she was hungry. It took her more than a few moments to gather her thoughts. While the fact she definitely wasn’t curled up on an uncomfortable office sofa gave her hope that it was all a bad dream, she was pretty sure it was all true. What had ever possessed her to think that ordering Asmodeus to slap Lucifer had been a good idea? Or more or less tell the lord of Devildom to pretty much fuck himself? Those were some pretty poor life choices on her part, but the strange thing was at peace with it. Whatever happened next, Grace was done hiding.

Opening her eyes, it was dark but Grace could see the familiar shadows of her room. How the hell did anyone persuade Lucifer to let her back into the house? Reluctantly, she threw off the blanket and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Her head was pounding and she still felt the weight of exhaustion tugging at her limbs. Her stomach overruled them. Was this how Beel felt all the time? Damn.

Someone had left a glass of water on her desk. Gratefully, she drained the glass. Wondering what time it was, she looked toward the clock on the wall. It was well after midnight. She contemplating ignoring her hunger and crawling back in the sheets but her stomach growled at the thought. Food first, then she could go back to sleep.

She quickly changed into a pair of leggings and an oversized sleep shirt, then hunted for slippers. The entire time her stomach growled like an angry feline. When was it that she had last eaten? Right, breakfast was waffles and strawberries.

Grace opened the door slowly. The hall was dark except for a little bit of light coming from a DDD. “Hey,” she called softly. Levi was sitting cross-legged on the floor playing a game and looked up at her. He gave her an awkward smile. “No one wanted to startle you when you woke up, so some of us were taking turns keeping an eye on your door.”

“Is Lucifer home?” Grace asked awkwardly, needing to know if she should be venturing out unarmed.

“No.” He got up from the floor. “Did you really slap him?”

“No. Well, not personally anyway.” Grace answered leaving the relative safety of her room. “But I did compel Asmo to do it.”

Levi offered her a fist bump. “Totally still counts.”

Grace bumped it. “I need to see if there is anything safe for a human to eat left in the fridge. I’m starving.”

“You had a long day.”

“Understatement.”

They walked in silence to the kitchen. Levi sat down at the table and continued playing his game. Grace opened the fridge to see a wrapped plate with her name on it. She pulled it out of the fridge and unwrapped it to find a very thick sandwich that filled most of the plate and sliced veggies. It made her smile. She sat down next to Levi and devoured it in record time.

“You seem a little better tonight,” he commented.

“Still really tired,” Grace replied.

Levi reached into his hoodie and pulled out a shiny new DDD. “This is for you. Yours kinda got a little damaged. I transferred all your data over.” He slid it across the table to her.

She picked it up and looked at the screen. She saw the icon for the Seven Lords ap. “All my data?”

“Yup, I have to admit that I was a little sad that you had no nudes on there,” Levi said with a blush. “And that you were bluffing about having a key to the Emperor's Chest.”

“Right, why do I think you’re more upset about the latter?” Grace said with a little bit of a blush too. Well, she had told herself no more hiding. She changed her password before setting it down on the table. “I’m too tired tonight, but tomorrow help me play catch-up?”

“Only if I get first pick of all the treasure chests,” Levi said with a small smile.

“Deal.”

Grace put her dished in the sink, and opened the fridge once more to get a bottle of water. “Talk to you tomorrow, Levi.” She picked up her new phone.

“Yeah, it will be nice to not have to listen to the cheap voice disguiser app you were using. Have a good sleep.”

Grace walked up the stairs but didn’t stop at her door. She followed the hallway down to Asmo’s and gently knocked on the door. She listened. It didn’t sound like he had company, so she cracked the door open. “You awake?”

She let her eyes adjust to the soft blue mood lighting of his room. He looked like he was comfortably sleeping. Grace didn’t even really know what she had wanted to say. She certainly wasn’t up for another talk, but she was still a little sad that he was asleep. But, he’d had a long day too and deserved the rest. With a soft sigh, she started to close the door.

“Grace?” he called sleepily.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.” Grace fell awkwardly silent. “I don’t really know why I’m here. I guess I just wanted to see you.”

“I don’t mind.” He sat up and patted the bed next to him. Asmo’s hair was dishevelled and he looked cute. Not dashingly handsome as usual, but cute and somewhat innocent. She walked in and sat next to him on the bed. The awkward silence came back and she searched for something, anything to say. “Exactly how many people can you fit in this thing?” Grace asked playfully.

“Sleeping or other?” he asked.

Now gripped with curiosity she was sure to regret. “Both?”

“Between six to eight people comfortably sleeping.” She didn’t need to see him to know what kind of smile he had on his face for the next part. “You can almost double that for sex, depending on positions.”

“Human or demon form?” she asked, leaning into his shoulder.

“What?”

“I imagine wings and tails would impact the numbers-“ she paused to yawn. “And the positions.”

He chuckled.

“Asmo, I think I need to stay with you tonight.” The words tumbled out of her mouth in rush, almost on top of each other. It was almost the words he said to her the night before. The next three words came out more clearly. “Is that okay?”

He reached out and touched her hair, brushing it behind her ear. Asmo left his hand on her face for a second. “Sure.”

Grace knew things were complicated. She wasn’t stupid, but she was tired, so very very tired and she didn’t want to be alone. There would be time for talking tomorrow. Hopefully.

Grace kicked her slippers off and slid into the bed with him. His sheets were soft and so was his skin as she nestled against his body. “It’s too big,” she said sleepily.

“Thanks for the compliment, but you haven’t even seen it yet,” Asmo teased.

“The bed, asshole, the bed.” She clarified. Grace tightened her arm across his chest and listened to his heartbeat. “I could lose you in the night.”

“I could get out the handcuffs,” his words were followed by a yawn. “Problem solved.”

“Nope. We haven’t picked out a safety word.”

“I’ll take that as a rain check on the handcuffs.” Asmo tightened his arms around her too. “Then this will have to do for tonight.”

This was the feeling Grace had been craving so desperately when she had been alone in the dark, afraid and in pain. Arms wrapped around her and the sensation of being safe. She drifted into a peaceful slumber listening to the lullaby of his heart beating.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! Snuggles!


	9. Change in Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Solomon reflects on the day

Solomon snapped his fingers and cleared the image from the scrying pool. Grace was holding onto Asmo as though he was a life preserver saving her from drowning. Though he could feel that they were in a better place mystically, it was nice to get visual confirmation.

Today had not exactly gone according to plan, but Solomon was nothing if he wasn’t adaptable. He wasn’t sure what had happened this morning to disrupt their fragile new pact, but that wouldn’t do at all. Adjustments had to be made.

Still, Solomon had been able to make Grace fear him less and view him as an ally, especially when no demon was there to stand with her in that terrible meeting. All it had taken was a little delay in the arrival of her knight. Poor Asmodeus had been so certain he'd set that alarm.

Lucifer had been a problem. It would not do to have her sent away, not when Solomon had finally talked Asmo into making the pact with Grace. No, she needed to stay right here.

Grace was something special. Solomon had been able to see it for a while. There was power in her, something different than what he wielded, and yet different from what the demons possessed. With a little time, patience and creativity he should be able to access it through his pact with Asmodeus and Solomon had plenty of all three.

All in all, it had been a good day indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now I may safely leave Grace and Asmo cuddled until I decide what calamity awaits them next.   
> Tomorrow, hopefully I finally tackle Mammon.


	10. Meet Me Halfway?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asmo wakes up with Grace still in his arms and in his bed and does his best to persuade her to stay there.

Asmo had been awake and watching Grace sleep for awhile. He had been shocked she had sought him out last night and even more surprised that she was still here this morning. After everything that had happened, he had been certain she would have wanted space. That’s why he’d retreated to his room, to give her what he thought she wanted and let her rest. But here she was. Grace had come to him.

His smile was serene when he looked down at her, still nestled against him, using his chest as a pillow. Asmo brushed a wayward strand of hair off of her face. A face that she somehow found wanting. Silly girl. She was beautiful and Asmo didn’t understand why she didn’t see it. His fingers moved from her hair to just lightly trace along her jaw. Grace smiled just a little in response, which just tempted Asmo to see what other reactions he could coax from her. 

His DDD buzzed but it was over on the other side of his gigantic bed, and Asmo had no intention of disturbing the quiet moment he was enjoying with Grace. It was one of the rare few times in the last forty-eight hours where neither of them was angry, frustrated, yelling or crying. 

It buzzed again and then a few minutes later again. Asmo looked at the bedside table and tried to figure out if he stretched if there was any possible way he could reach it. He had no desire to communicate with whoever it was but he did want to shut the damn thing off. No, not unless he dislocated his shoulder and that was more likely to wake her up than the vibration of the device. Then, he felt the change in her breathing and realized he was wrong. 

“Just get the damn thing already,” Grace urged with a yawn. She rolled away from him and Asmo held his breath wondering if she was going to get up. If so, he was truly going to wring the neck of whoever kept texting him. Thankfully, she just snagged one of his pillows and wrapped her arms around it, much like she had done that first night.

Grumbling he grabbed the DDD and returned back to the centre of the bed. Asmo settled in close to Grace, already missing the warmth of her skin, and slid his left arm under the pillow. He could text one-handed, hell he could do most things one-handed.

Glancing at the screen, Asmo saw he’d missed three texts from Solomon.

**SOLOMON:** Good morning?

**SOLOMON:** You awake?

**SOLOMON:** How’s Grace?

Asmo switched off both the sound and the vibrate on the device before typing his answer:

**ASMODEUS:** It was a good morning until you woke both of us up.

**SOLOMON:** Both? 

**ASMODEUS:** Both.

**SOLOMON:** And how is dear Grace this morning?

**ASMODEUS:** I already answered that. Sleeping.

**SOLOMON:** Actually you said I woke her up.

**ASMODEUS:** Luckily, for the sake of your limbs, Grace settled back in.

There was a delay before Solomon texted back.

**SOLOMON:** Has anyone told her what Lord Diavolo requires of her as penance?

**ASMODEUS:** I doubt it, but I’ll break it to her gently. At least, she’s got me, the most well-suited demon she could possibly have to help her with this undertaking.

**SOLOMON:** As much as I’d love to disagree just to ruffle your feathers, you are definitely the most well suited to this particular task.

**ASMODEUS:** I don’t think even you could ruffle my feathers this morning.

**SOLOMON:** Is that an invitation to try?

**ASMODEUS:** Only if you want to acquire the new nickname of “Stumpy”.

**SOLOMON:** It seems our dear girl brings out the violent side of you. You’ve never threatened me with bodily harm so often in under three minutes.

**ASMODEUS:** Make a habit of calling her ‘ours’ and it will be more than a threat.

Solomon again didn’t reply right away, but when he did he changed the subject.

**SOLOMON:** Any fallout from Lucifer?

**ASMODEUS:** None yet, but I’m sure there will be something.

**SOLOMON:** If you are worried about her safety, she could always stay with me.

No. That was just a no.

**ASMODEUS:** He’s under orders to protect her and under orders to allow her to live here. She’s safe.

**SOLOMON:** But if he makes her feel too unwelcome that offer stands.

**ASMODEUS:** Don’t worry, she will feel more than welcome here. We’ve got this.

“Why the hell are you growling?” Grace asked suddenly, rolling back into him and looking up at his face.

Asmo hadn’t realized he was until she said something. He cleared his throat and smiled. “Sorry, there was an idiot on the phone and he was annoying me.”

“And here I thought you were just sexting, and it was getting hot.” Grace rubbed her eyes, yawned and sat up. “Shall I leave you two alone?”

“No,” Asmo, put the DDD down and gave Grace his full attention. The blankets slid down and for the first time, he saw the oversized shirt she was wearing. Asmo had thought the plaid pyjamas where hideous, but this was worse so very much worse. It had the TSL logo and the characters from that stupid game that Levi obsessed about. It was ugly and it reminded him of Levi. Nothing, no nothing, should ever remind him of Levi when he was in bed. “Grace,” he said in a very pained voice. “You are never wearing that in my bed ever again.”

She slid from the bed and slowly stretched. As she did, the wide neck of the shirt slid to one side exposing the spiderweb that hid her wound. Asmo smiled, it made it feel like she was marked by him, even though it was just a generic design. Grace had winced a bit at first, but she seemed to be moving well. 

“Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize that your bed had a dress code,” Grace teased. 

“It does,” Asmo said quite seriously. “In fact, you actually far too overdressed for this establishment.” He ran his hand down the silken sheet that still covered his body and started tugging it slowly. “I can show you what proper attire should look like.”

He was watching her very carefully, trying to gauge her reaction to his playing. There was a trace of a blush, but her eyes were sparkling. However, he could see her tense up the lower the sheet dipped, so Asmo stopped just shy of revealing all the goods. “I suppose given your status as my Mistress, some exceptions can be made. But that-“ he pointed at the shirt. “Never that. You have at least a dozen pretty, silky, lacy things that you could wear, any of those will do.”

“But this is comfortable,” Grace said firmly.

“The others are-“ He protested.

“Different kind of comfort.” She clarified interrupting him.

He dropped it, at least for the moment. Asmo wasn’t sure how he could help. He wanted her to see what he saw, but it seemed to be an internal struggle that he was powerless to influence. Didn’t mean he was going to stop trying of course. Asmo was going to start by picking the battles he at least thought he could win. This did not seem to be one of those. 

“So why are you getting out of bed?” Asmo asked changing the subject.

“As you said, I’m way overdressed.” Grace crouched and looked for her slippers.

“I’m willing to let it slide on this occasion.”

“I haven’t cooked breakfast in two days.” That was her next excuse. “How the hell did it end up way under there?” she muttered, getting to her knees and looking under his bed.

“That ship sailed hours ago, darling.” Asmo rolled onto his stomach and pulled himself to the end of the bed. Grace was halfway under his bed trying to retrieve her lost slipper. All he could see were her legging-clad legs. “You might not like what you find under there.”

She came out triumphant, with a little bit of dust in her hair, but the missing slipper in one hand. “Asmo-“ she said, his name but then cut off whatever reply she had to his teasing. “Never mind.” 

“How many more excuses to I have to squash before you come back to bed?” Asmo said, looking up at her.

“I’m awake now, which means my brain is starting to do the whole thinking thing. This means I start to over-analyze things and then we might actually have to talk about yesterday. So if I come up with the right excuse I can buy a little more time before we have to do that.”

“I’ve been told I’m very good at making people stop thinking,” Asmo said, flexing his naked butt cheeks. “In fact, I’ve occasionally left people unable to form complete sentences for hours.”

Grace laughed. “I’m sure you can, but I’m not sure that would solve any of our problems. How about I meet you halfway?”

“You’ll take off the ugly shirt and get into bed?” Asmo asked hopefully.

“How is that meeting you halfway?” Grace asked.

“You’d still be wearing pants and we wouldn’t be having sex.”

She pretended to think about for a moment before she smiled and shook her head. “No. But, you always complain I never let you take me anywhere. How about I go shower, get dressed and we go for lunch? Somewhere quiet, where we can talk?”

“Can I pick what you wear?” he asked hopefully. This was definitely a step forward, she had never accepted any attempt to go out for anything. Not coffee, lunch or dinner.

“No,” she said firmly. 

Well, that was disappointing, but Asmo was going to take the win. He still was going to pout though. “Fine, but at least wear one of the dresses I bought? Please?”

“Fair enough.” She agreed.

Asmo hadn’t thought he’d win that one, but he didn’t gloat. “Go get ready, princess.” Her smile faltered just a little bit and he winced. That was going to take some getting used to. “I meant I’ll see you in a little bit, Grace.”

She smiled gratefully at his recovery attempt. “Swing by my room when you are done.”

Asmo watched leave with a smile. 


	11. A Satisfying Shower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grace is not as immune to Asmo's charms as she appears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning . . . mild masturbation scene ahead.

Grace walked down the hall to her room with a huge smile on her face. Leaving him there had been hard, and a very large part of her had been very tempted to stay, but she couldn’t avoid all her problems forever by hiding in that bed. It was an awfully big bed, and it would take those problems a while to search it, but they find her eventually.

Asmo was right, they had slept late. Breakfast would have been over ages ago. Which was nice since the hallway empty and the brothers likely all enjoying their leisure day in their favourite ways. She didn’t really want to talk to anyone else this morning. Though, she supposed she should check her DDD since Levi had been kind enough to replace her old one and move her stuff over.

She opened her bedroom door and saw that surprisingly most of them from around the time the fight had started or just after. Those she deleted. The only new ones that weren’t related to her disappearance were from Levi and Solomon. Levi setting a time for them to play today, and Solomon asking if they could get together to talk in the next few days. Grace acknowledged Levi’s message with a thumbs-up emoji but ignored Solomon’s for now. She needed to think about how to reply to that, and right now she something more important to think about. Choosing what she was wearing to lunch.

It was an important choice. Most demons hadn’t seen her since the attack, and Grace wanted to make a statement. Okay, and also not look like a total troll sitting next to Asmo. Red was out of the question, it still reminded her of the horrible mistake she’s made yesterday. The royal blue dress might work, she wasn’t fond of the halter style neckline, but the hourglass silhouette disguised her chunkier features. After picking out matching accessories and shoes she took it all into her bathroom.

Grace hummed a little as she turned on the water. She felt wonderful this morning. Grace had felt so safe in his arms like nothing could touch or hurt her. His skin was so soft and smooth and he even smelled good. Not that any of that was surprising, he was the sin of lust after all. Of course, he would be enticing in every way imaginable. As she rinsed the soap out of her hair, she wondered if he smelled the same to everyone or if his body just knew what pleased the person it was with.

Hmmm … that body. There was no way she could have laid pressed against it all night without being tempted. Grace closed her eyes and slid her right hand out of her hair along her skin. She pictured the way his eyes had looked at her while he had slowly dragged that sheet along his body. Grace imagined it was his hand touching her body not her own.

Grace was not made of ice nor stone. She was not a creature free of passion or desire, Grace repressed those emotions because they’d only brought her pain before. In the privacy of the shower, however, she allowed herself to indulge in imagined scenarios. What if that sheet hadn’t stopped where it had? It had concealed little and the night pressed against his body helped her mind fill in the gaps. What if he had woken her with kisses? Or better yet, what if she’s been brave enough to wake him that way?

She leaned against the wall of the shower and let out a soft moan. With no to see, hear or judge, Grace allowed her hands to take care of the needs she had been neglecting, and her mind to be free of all the insecurities that plagued her. The only images playing on the back of her closed eyelids were those of mutual passions sated. At the peak of her pleasure, she breathed his name aloud.

Grace stayed under the shower spray for a little longer, enjoying the lingering sensations. Then she remembered that Asmo might actually already be waiting for her. With a little reluctant groan, she finished washing up and turned off the water.

She stepped out of the shower and gently towelled herself dry. The bruising along her ribs was much better, it no longer hurt to breathe but touching them still caused pain. Neither of her other wounds hurt at all today, which surprised her. She was definitely going to have to ask Asmo where he got them. Not that she was planning on getting attacked again, but it was definitely in the realm of possibility.

Grace got dressed as quickly as possible. She had finished her makeup and was just in the process of putting up her hair for the second time when she heard a knock on the door. She stepped out of the bathroom and opened the door, “I’m almost ready-“ she stopped mid-sentence and just admired him for a sec. Grace gave a low whistle. Asmo was looking fine. “Maybe not. You sure you want to be seen in public with me?”

“You worry too much.” He said walking into the room. “You look lovely.”

“I reserve the right to disagree,” Grace muttered, then shook her head. No negativity, she smiled and pointed to the bed. “Have a seat. I just need to finish my hair and I should be good to go.”

“I could help,” he offered.

“You could sit on the bed and wait,” she replied.

Asmo crawled on to her bed and made himself comfortable. With a wink, he undid the top button of his shirt looked at her invitingly. “Like this?” His hand drifted to the second one.

“Sure, if that literally keeps you out of my hair, then yes,” Grace said with a smile as she walked back into the bathroom. It wasn’t like she was trying to do anything fancy with her hair anyway, Grace just wanted it up and off her face, especially so she wouldn’t play with it when she was nervous. It was a sure bet that she was going to nervous with some of the topics they needed cover.

It didn’t take long for him to get bored, and soon Asmo was leaning in the doorway watching her try for the fourth time to get it her twisted into the shape she wanted. Grace met his eyes in the mirror. “Back to bed! It will take twice as long if you watch me.”

“Or half the time if I help,” he offered again, this time not taking no for an answer. Asmo stepped closer and took the comb from her hand. “Stop being so stubborn.”

Grace sighed and accepted defeat. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy the feel of his fingers running through her hair, she just hated how easy he made it seem. “Fine.” Then she watched him mold her hair into a cute little up do with almost no effort. “Seriously, it's no fair." Grace pouted. "How are you so good at this?”

“Practice, lots and lots of practice.” He murmured, taking a step back to admire his work. “I haven’t always had short hair, darling. Shall we?”

Trying to picture him with long hair, Grace didn’t even notice the pet name. She nodded in answer to his question, slipped on a pair of kitten heels. Asmo held out her purse and offered Grace his arm. They started walking down the hallway. He was doing a wonderful job of playing the gentleman.

“You seem to be in an exceptionally good mood,” Asmo said. “I think you need to take a satisfying shower more often.” He glanced down at her and winked.

Grace sighed and rolled her eyes at him. He laughed and it was infectious and Grace couldn’t help but join him.


End file.
